Clinical Charge Nurse - PICU
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a substantive post of a Clinical Charge Nurse (Band 6) in our acute and crisis directorate.
Vacancies exist in Tarn Ward at Oxleas House . Tarn ward is a 14 bedded male, psychiatric intensive care unit for people currently in crisis and requiring appropriate psychological and pharmaceutical interventions.
You will support the ward manager to lead the management of clinical and risk issues on the ward, emphasising relational security within the unit, such as providing patient choice, collaboration and transparency with a trauma informed care approach.
Your clinical and managerial leadership will recognise the impacts of adverse and traumatic experiences on patients and staff.
The post operates on a shift rota system, including weekends and night work, this is inclusive of the duty senior nurse role. You will receive staff induction, in-house training, frequent supervision and personal development reviews.
Please note that Oxleas operates a probationary period, further information is available on request.
Main duties of the job
As a Clinical Charge Nurse you will promote and develop clinical leadership and clinical practice and be a positive role model to junior members of the team through the practice of evidence-based care. You will be expected to support professional development through clinical appraisal and supervision and contribute to the ongoing educational programme for staff, fostering a positive learning environment.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies.Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs.We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
- Leading and supporting junior staff to deliver person centred care.
- Formulating and documenting a plan of nursing care where possible in partnership with Service Users, carers, family, and friends including personal choices/likes/dislikes/wishes.
- Evaluating and documenting the outcomes of nursing interventions.
- Personal care (bathing, dressing, and grooming).
- Nutrition and hydration (monitor and ensure adequate intake)
- Emotional and social support.
- Leading and supporting junior staff to promote recovery
- Promoting independence
- Engaging with activities of their interest
- Leading and supporting junior staff to risk assess and risk manage
- Undertaking individual risk assessments as per Trust policy
- Engaging in 1-1 sessions, listening, responding, and reporting
- Prevention and management of aggression and violence including providing hands on care to prevent injury to self and others using approved techniques such as PSTS/PMVA after undertaking appropriate training, assessment and deemed competent.
- Recognising service user health deterioration and taking action - monitoring physical health, checking vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature, saturation, blood glucose, Glasgow Coma Scale.
- Knowledge of the Early Warning Signs (MEWS/NEWS)
- Reporting incidents as per Trust policy
- Safe use of medical devices
- Implementing safe and therapeutic observations policy levels
- Safe transfer of individuals
- Resuscitation procedure: ILS after undertaking appropriate training, assessment and deemed competent
- Fire warden
- Coordinate junior staff and oversee the admission and discharge of service users, ensuring needs of the patient and service including relevant legislative or required documentation are completed.
- Leading on safeguarding and duty of candour procedures/
- Ensuring that own practice and that of junior staff remains within legal, ethical, and professional parameters and is open to scrutiny from peers.
- Attend Ward round and effectively advocate for patients and escalate needs appropriately
- Review of PICU referrals and provide timely recommendations
- Review of Datix and incidents, ensuring shared learning
Person specification
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria- Excellent communication and written skills
- Understanding and being able to identify the deteriorating patient in a compassionate and professional way
- Be willing to undertake group activities with patients to support a therapeutic and patient focused recovery
- Self-aware, self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others
- Lead on physical health
- Lead on emergencies
Education and Qualification
Essential criteria- Registered Adult Nurse and/or Registered Mental Health Nurse and/or Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse Mentorship qualification
- Mentorship Training or practice assessor
- Leadership Training
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria- Experience in working within a mental health setting with adults with acute mental illness
- Experience of medication managment
- Experience of being in charge of a ward environment
- Experience of supervising junior staff and student nurses
- Experience of implementing quality Improvement projects and sound knowledge of QI methodology
- Experience of patient flow systems
- Experience of training junior staff and training other professionals
We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.
If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.
We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.
If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for.There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.
Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.
We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.